Jutta Leerdam Biography: Age, Olympic Gold, Career & Relationship with Jake Paul

Jutta Leerdam is a Dutch Olympic champion speed skater who has transcended her sport to become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. The 27-year-old sprint specialist captured global attention by winning gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics while setting a new Olympic record, all while building a massive social media following and high-profile modeling career. Her engagement to YouTuber-turned-boxer jake paul has only amplified her star power, making her a true crossover celebrity in sports and entertainment.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Jutta Monica Leerdam was born on December 30, 1998, in ‘s-Gravenzande, a coastal town in the Netherlands . She was named after German windsurfing world champion Jutta Müller by her father, Ruud Leerdam, who was an enthusiastic windsurfer himself . Her mother is Monique Leerdam, and Jutta has three siblings: sisters Beaudine and Merel, and brother Kjeld .

Before discovering her passion for speed skating, Leerdam spent approximately eight years playing field hockey during her childhood . At age 11, she transitioned to speed skating, training on tracks around her hometown of ‘s-Gravenzande . This relatively late start in the sport makes her subsequent rise to world dominance even more remarkable.

Leerdam pursued higher education while building her athletic career, studying commercial economics at the Johan Cruyff Academy of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen . This academic background has helped her navigate the business aspects of her growing brand and sponsorship portfolio.

Career Journey

Junior Career & Early Success (2017–2018)

Leerdam’s speed skating career exploded onto the international scene at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where she was crowned junior world champion in both the all-round and 1500m events . The following year, at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, she captured silver in the all-round competition behind compatriot Joy Beune .

During the 2017–18 season, Leerdam dominated the ISU Junior World Cup, winning competitions in both the 1000m and 1500m events. She also claimed the Dutch junior sprint championship, establishing herself as the most promising young talent in Dutch speed skating .

Turning Professional (2018–2020)

In 2018, Leerdam turned professional and joined Team IKO, immediately making an impact on the senior circuit. During her debut senior season, she became the Dutch sprint champion and won the world championship in the team sprint alongside Letitia de Jong and Janine Smit .

Her breakthrough on the world stage came at the 2020 World Single Distances Championships in Salt Lake City, where she won gold in the 1000m with a time of 1:11.84—setting a Dutch record that still stands . She also claimed gold in the team sprint at the same championships, establishing herself as a double world champion at just 21 years old.

Olympic Silver & World Sprint Title (2022)

Leerdam made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, competing in both the 500m and 1000m events. She captured the silver medal in the 1000m with a time of 1:13.83, finishing behind Japan’s Miho Takagi, and placed fifth in the 500m .

Later that year, at the 2022 World Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway, Leerdam achieved the pinnacle of sprint speed skating by winning the overall sprint title (combined 500m and 1000m) and the team sprint world championship . This made her the undisputed queen of sprint speed skating.

Joining Team Jumbo-Visma (2022–2024)

In October 2022, Leerdam made a significant career move by leaving Team Worldstream (which she had helped establish) to join the elite Team Jumbo-Visma . The decision proved transformative for her career both athletically and financially.

“I have the freedom here to develop myself as a brand, as a person and as a skater,” Leerdam explained about the move. “They see added value in me, in different areas. I have a lot of fun with everyone and I click with Jac [Orie, coach]. It feels very natural” .

During her time with Jumbo-Visma, Leerdam reportedly earned between €600,000 and €900,000 annually (approximately $650,000–$975,000), making her one of the highest-paid female speed skaters in the world .

Continued Dominance (2023–2025)

Leerdam’s success continued unabated:

• 2023: Won her second 1000m World Single Distance title in Heerenveen
• 2024: Silver medal at World Single Distances Championships in Calgary (1000m)
• 2025: Multiple medals at World Championships in Hamar—gold in team sprint, silver in 500m, bronze in 1000m

At the 2025 World Championships, she skated alongside fellow Dutch stars Suzanne Schulting and Angel Daleman to capture team sprint gold, demonstrating the Netherlands’ continued dominance in the sport .

Olympic Redemption & Glory (2026)

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games represented both Leerdam’s greatest challenge and ultimate triumph. Her path to Olympic glory was nearly derailed in December 2025 when she crashed during qualifying for her signature 1000m event, putting her Olympic participation in jeopardy .

However, the Dutch Olympic Committee selected her as a discretionary pick, and Leerdam repaid their faith spectacularly. On February 9, 2026, she won the gold medal in the 1000m with an Olympic record time of 1:12.31, breaking the previous record held by teammate Femke Kok, who had set a new mark just moments earlier in the same competition .

“I do not think I ever felt as much pressure as today. But, on the other hand, I thrive off pressure. I always perform better under pressure,” Leerdam said after her victory .

Six days later, on February 15, 2026, Leerdam captured her second Olympic medal—a silver in the 500m, finishing behind Femke Kok, who set another Olympic record . The two medals made her one of the most decorated athletes of the 2026 Games and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest sprint speed skaters in history.

Personal Life

Relationship with Koen Verweij (2017–2022)

Before her relationship with Jake Paul, Leerdam was in a five-year relationship with fellow Dutch speed skater Koen Verweij from 2017 to 2022 . Verweij, an accomplished skater in his own right with Olympic medals and a world all-round title, retired from competitive speed skating in the summer of 2022 .

The relationship ended in August 2022, with Leerdam announcing the split on social media. In a podcast appearance with Paul, she later revealed her reluctance to date another speed skater, citing the challenges of constant togetherness during training .

There were also rumors of a relationship between Leerdam and Dutch footballer Memphis Depay, though neither party confirmed nor denied these reports .

Relationship with Jake Paul (2023–Present)

Leerdam’s life changed dramatically in early 2023 when Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-professional boxer, slid into her Instagram DMs . Paul initially contacted her to appear on his podcast, but what started as a professional invitation quickly evolved into romance.

“When he hit me up online, I thought, ‘What an arrogant [expletive]. He thinks he can do anything, but he won’t get me,'” Leerdam admitted in the Netflix documentary series Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson. “I never expected to date him. Of course, I didn’t know a lot about him. I could only scroll on his Instagram and form an opinion like the whole world does. But he is the complete opposite” .

The couple went public with their relationship in April 2023 . Paul has been effusive in his praise for Leerdam, crediting her with helping him through a “dark place” following his loss to Tommy Fury. “She’s one of the most pure-hearted human beings that I have met in my life. So genuine and she has just changed my perspective,” Paul said .

Engagement (March 2025)

On March 22, 2025, Leerdam and Paul announced their engagement on Instagram . The proposal came after nearly two years of dating, during which the couple maintained a long-distance relationship between Paul’s base in the United States and Leerdam’s training in the Netherlands.

Paul attended the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina to support Leerdam, where he was visibly emotional during her gold medal victory. Videos showed him “balling his eyes out” in the stands as she crossed the finish line . For Valentine’s Day 2026, Paul wrote “Jutta will you be my valentine” in the snow at the Olympic venue—a gesture Leerdam shared with her millions of social media followers .

Family & Home Life

Leerdam maintains close ties with her family in the Netherlands. In 2020, she purchased a beautiful villa in Naaldwijk near her hometown, a property worth approximately $1.6 million with six bedrooms and a spacious garden . She is also an animal lover and has a pet dog named Mowgli .

Career Statistics & Achievements

Olympic Medals

World Championship Titles (7 Total)

European Championship Titles

• 2020 Heerenveen: 1000m Gold
• 2021 Heerenveen: Sprint Gold
• 2022 Heerenveen: 1000m Gold
• 2023 Hamar: Sprint Gold
• 2024 Heerenveen: 1000m Gold, 500m Silver
• 2025 Heerenveen: Sprint Gold

Personal Records

World Records

• Team Sprint: 1:24.029 (with Letitia de Jong and Femke Kok), February 13, 2020, Salt Lake City

Olympic Records

• Women’s 1000m: 1:12.31, February 9, 2026, Milan

Physical Statistics

Quotes

“I do not think I ever felt as much pressure as today. But, on the other hand, I thrive off pressure. I always perform better under pressure.” — On winning Olympic gold, 2026

“I never, ever expected to date him, like never. Of course, I didn’t know a lot about him. I could only scroll on his Instagram and form an opinion like the whole world does. But he is the complete opposite.” — On her first impressions of Jake Paul

“The only thing I could do today was skate fast. That’s exactly what I did, and it resulted in something very nice.” — After winning Olympic gold, 2026

“I want them [kids watching] to never get discouraged by people saying you can’t do it. Never listen to too many negative opinions, because people don’t understand. People don’t know who you are or how much work you put in. Try to focus on what you can control, which is having fun on the ice and enjoying the feeling.” — On inspiring the next generation

“I focus on the positive. Sometimes the negative does come in, but I’m an open person and I discuss it right away. I don’t bottle it up.” — On her mental approach

Favorites

• Events: 1000m (signature distance), 500m
• Training Location: Salt Lake City (Utah Olympic Oval—site of her Dutch record)
• Brands: Nike, Dior, Hugo Boss, SKIMS
• Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with family and friends, riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle
• Pet: Dog named Mowgli
• Bikes: Premium S-Works road bike

Earnings & Net Worth

Jutta Leerdam’s estimated net worth in 2026 is $5–6 million, derived from multiple income streams :

Speed Skating Earnings

• Career prize money: Approximately $3–4 million
• Team Jumbo-Visma salary (2022–2024): €600,000–€900,000 annually ($650,000–$975,000)
• Prize money (2020–2022): €18,500–€27,000

Social Media & Modeling Income

• Instagram earnings: $14,693–$20,129 monthly ($176,000–$242,000 annually)
• Annual sponsorship revenue: $498,000–$682,400
• SKIMS/NikeSKIMS modeling contract: Signed November 2025

Major Sponsorships

• Nike (including NikeSKIMS collaboration with kim kardashian)
• Dior
• Hugo Boss
• Celsius
• Thinkwise
• Worldstream
• Body&Fit
• KaFra Housing

Real Estate

• Villa in Naaldwijk: Purchased 2020, valued at approximately $1.6 million, six bedrooms with spacious garden

Interesting Facts

• Leerdam was named after German windsurfing world champion Jutta Müller by her windsurfing enthusiast father
• She played field hockey for eight years before switching to speed skating at age 11
• She is one of the few speed skaters to successfully transition from junior to senior world champion in sprint events
• Her Olympic gold in 2026 came after nearly missing the Games due to a crash in qualifying just weeks earlier
• She is the second cousin of fellow Dutch speed skater Dione Voskamp
• Leerdam co-founded NXTGEN Speed Skating with ex-boyfriend Koen Verweij to nurture young skating talent
• She has been criticized in the Netherlands for traveling to the 2026 Olympics by private jet and skipping the opening ceremony, with some pundits claiming “Jake Paul has rubbed off on her”
• Her fiancé Jake Paul was visibly crying in the stands when she won Olympic gold
• She joined Serena Williams, Jordan Chiles, and Sha’Carri Richardson as a face of NikeSKIMS

Did You Know?

• Leerdam set the Olympic record in the 1000m (1:12.31) at the 2026 Games, breaking the previous record held by her teammate Femke Kok, who had set a new mark just one race earlier
• The Netherlands has dominated Olympic speed skating, making the podium in six of the last seven Olympic 1000m competitions
• Leerdam’s 1000m Dutch record of 1:11.84, set in 2020, still stands and was the fourth-fastest time in history at that moment
• She and Jake Paul have a strict relationship rule: he sends her three to five videos every night before bed to make her feel included in his life despite the long distance
• Leerdam was a discretionary pick for the 2026 Olympics after crashing in qualifying—she wasn’t automatically qualified but was selected by the Dutch Olympic Committee based on her pedigree

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @juttaleerdam — 5.6 million+ followers
• TikTok: @juttaleerdam — 2 million+ followers
• X (Twitter): @juttaleerdam
• YouTube: Jutta Leerdam

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is Jutta Leerdam?
Jutta Leerdam is 5 feet 11 inches (181 cm or 1.81 m) tall, making her one of the taller female speed skaters on the World Cup circuit .

Who is Jutta Leerdam’s fiancé?
Jutta Leerdam is engaged to Jake Paul, the American YouTuber-turned-professional boxer. They began dating in April 2023 after Paul contacted her via Instagram DM for his podcast, and announced their engagement on March 22, 2025 .

How many Olympic medals does Jutta Leerdam have?
As of February 2026, Jutta Leerdam has three Olympic medals: silver in the 1000m at the 2022 Beijing Games, gold in the 1000m at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games (with an Olympic record), and silver in the 500m at the 2026 Games .

What is Jutta Leerdam’s net worth?
Jutta Leerdam’s estimated net worth is $5–6 million as of 2026, earned through speed skating prize money, her salary with Team Jumbo-Visma, social media influence, and modeling contracts with brands like Nike, Dior, and SKIMS .

Who did Jutta Leerdam date before Jake Paul?
Before Jake Paul, Jutta Leerdam was in a five-year relationship with fellow Dutch speed skater Koen Verweij from 2017 to 2022. There were also rumors of a relationship with Dutch footballer Memphis Depay, though this was never confirmed .

How many world championships has Jutta Leerdam won?
Jutta Leerdam has won seven world championship titles: two in the 1000m (2020, 2023), two in team sprint (2019, 2020), two in sprint overall (2022), and one in team sprint at the World Sprint Championships (2022) .

Why did Jutta Leerdam leave Team Worldstream?
In 2022, Leerdam left Team Worldstream (which she helped establish) to join Team Jumbo-Visma because they offered her the freedom to develop herself “as a brand, as a person and as a skater” while providing elite coaching and significant financial support .

Conclusion

Jutta Leerdam’s journey from a small coastal town in the Netherlands to Olympic champion and global celebrity exemplifies the modern athlete’s potential to transcend sport. Her remarkable achievements on the ice—seven world titles, three Olympic medals, and an Olympic record—have established her as one of the greatest sprint speed skaters in history.

Yet Leerdam’s impact extends far beyond the skating rink. With 5.6 million Instagram followers, major modeling contracts with Nike and SKIMS, and a high-profile engagement to Jake Paul, she has become a cultural phenomenon who bridges the worlds of elite athletics and mainstream entertainment.

Her story is one of resilience and redemption. From the disappointment of silver in Beijing to the heartbreak of crashing in Olympic qualifying, to the ultimate triumph of gold in Milan, Leerdam has demonstrated the mental fortitude that defines champions. Her message to young girls—”Never listen to too many negative opinions, because people don’t understand”—reflects the wisdom gained through her own journey of overcoming doubt and distraction.

As she looks toward the future, possibly including the 2030 Winter Olympics and continued expansion of her brand, Jutta Leerdam stands as proof that modern athletes can excel in multiple arenas simultaneously. Whether she’s breaking records on the ice, representing major fashion brands, or inspiring millions through social media, “The Flying Dutchwoman” continues to soar to new heights.

Did you enjoy learning about Jutta Leerdam’s incredible journey? Share this article with fellow speed skating fans and follow her on social media to keep up with her latest achievements both on and off the ice!